The days have grown longer, the temperature has risen and Greenwich residents Jan and Paul Crispino can't wait to go into their garage and pull out their bicycles. The couple, along with their two teenage daughters -- Jacqueline, 17, and Cynthia, 15, enjoy taking bike rides all around their neighborhood, as well as on vacation.

"We go biking every summer and fall, usually within a 10-mile radius of our home," Jan Crispino, 47, a social worker, said. "We also vacation every year in Hilton Head, S. C. We're on the water where you can get everywhere by bike. We spend about three hours every day on our bikes. We always really enjoy these trips."

The Crispinos are among thousands of people in Fairfield County who look forward all winter to the time when they can step out of the gym and take their workout outdoors.

Whether your goal is to take occasional rides around the block, try out new terrain, or compete in a challenging race, there's a bike out there for you.

When purchasing a bike, experts said the two most important factors to consider are intended purpose and budget. Bikes range from about $300 to $12,000 or more. The types of bikes available include triathlete bikes, designed to help the rider go faster and get less wind resistance; road bikes, intended for serious fitness training; mountain bikes, built for riding along trails, up mountains, and through mud, dirt, rocks and roots and other obstacles.

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A bike for everyoneHere are some of the different varieties of bicycle available:Hybrid: Upright with a relaxed fit. It's used mainly for casual recreational riding. Cost is from about $330 to about $700.Road: Has drop handle bars and is intended for serious fitness training. Its thin tires reduce rolling resistance. Cost is $800 and up.Mountain: Has front or front and rear suspension. which increases traction for better control and safety. It's great for riding along trails, up mountains, and through mud, dirt, rocks, and roots. Cost is $400 up.Triathlete: Has aero bars in front which are meant to get the arms down in an aerodynamic position in order to ride faster and get less wind resistance. Hamstrings and glutes will be less fatigued after your ride. Cost is $2,000 and up.

Jan Crispino said since her neighborhood is so hilly she purchased a Specialized Edition bicycle, which is half mountain bike and half road bike. "It's really comfortable because it has so many gears," she said. "I never have to work too hard to get up the hills."

The rider's experience level is also a key factor to consider when bike shopping, said Sean Dowd, co-owner of Ridgefield Bicycle Company. For instance, he recommended that triathletes competing in shorter distance races or in their first triathlon should invest in a good road bike before making the leap to the more expensive triathlete bike. Road bikes start at about $800, whereas triathlete bikes are often $2,000 or higher.

"If you fall in love with the sport, then make the additional purchase of a tri bike," Dowd said.

Once you select the type of bike you want, the next step is making sure it's a good fit with your body. "When purchasing a bike, the single most important factor is to get it properly sized," said Bill Baker of Brookfield, who over the past 25 years, has completed 106 triathlons. "I would rather ride 100 miles on a $200 bicycle that fits me than one mile on a $2,000 bike that does not fit me. A bicycle that's not fitted properly will not only interfere with how efficient your ride is, but it will be uncomfortable and can cause injuries such as lower back or shoulder pain."

Most specialty bicycle shops, such as Ridgefield Bicycle Company, offer a custom bicycle fitting program. "The fitting takes about an hour," said Paul Londrigan of Ridgefield, who works at Ridgefield Bicycle Company. It evaluates bicycles on factors such as "how far back you are on the bike, are your elbows bent, seat height, where are your feet on the pedals, and is the reach from the saddle to the handle bars too far or too short. We look at all the different types of body geometry to make sure you're comfortable on the bike," he said.

While many bike companies offer used bikes, Dowd said their prices might be too good to be true. "Often they end up costing you more than buying a new one, after shipping, tune up, and repairs," he said. "Also, the warranty for a bike is only valid for the original owner," Dowd said.

However, Dowd is a fan of renting bikes. "Renting a bike is a great way to decide if you like cycling. It could save you a lot of money," he said. Rental costs at Ridgefield Bicycle Company are $50 for the day and $75 for the week.

Purchasing a bike for the first time involves much more than the cost of the bike. There's the helmet, for safety in a crash; sunglasses, which protect your eyes and bike clothing, which includes a jersey with rear pockets to store items such as food or a cell phone. There are also bike shoes, which have rock hard soles designed to transfer maximum leg energy to the pedals; water bottle cages; and fingerless gloves, which have padding to help absorb road vibrations.

"Plan to tack on 25 percent more than you originally plan on spending," Baker said.

Baker, who rides a Cannondale Slice triathlon bike, is now training for his first Full Ironman Triathlon (a timed race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile-bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run), which will be later this summer. He's following a 6 ½ month training program and rides 100 miles a week. "It's the bicycle leg that intimidates me the most. It's the longest leg of the race, time-wise. In the race, my goal is to spend about 6.5 hours on the bike portion," he said.

Baker said he has two goals for his upcoming race. "One is to get to the starting line injury free, and the other is to get to the finish line," he said. "I'm turning 50 this year. It will be a great sense of accomplishment if I finish this race."

Sandra Diamond Fox is a freelance writer in Connecticut and can be reached at Sandraifox@aol.com.